Oldham Pals 1914-1920

Search about 1,755 records of men, by platoon, who joined the 'Oldham Pals' battalion: the 24th Battalion, The Manchester Regiment.

The following military records may include:

First name

Date the man arrived overseas

Transfers

Whether killed in action or died of wounds

Any awards

The battalion was formed in Oldham on October 24, 1914 under the command of the 91st Infantry Brigade in the 30th Division in April 1915. The brigade was, therefore, a pure Manchester brigade. The other three battalions in the brigade were the 20th, 21st and 22nd battalions of the Manchester Regiment.

In November 1915 the battalion sailed for France. The majority of the men arrived in France in November 1915, so they qualified for the 1914-1915 Star. On December 20, 1915, the entire 90th Infantry Brigade was transferred to the regular 7th Division and in May 1916 the battalion was converted into a pioneer battalion.

Information published in The Oldham Battalion of Comrades – Book of Honour in 1920 is at the heart of these records. This record set follows the format of the Manchester City Battalions Book of Honour, published in 1916, listing men by platoon and company, as well as publishing photos of platoons. Separate photos of other infantry member are also published in the record set.

There is not a comprehensive key to the provided photographs to identify the individual soldiers. The lists and photographs do, however, place the individual in the context of the group of men he served alongside.

The Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society provided us with these records.